Narrative:

Departed runway 25R, dryheat 2 departure. I was training new first officer (IOE) on the aircraft. Right after takeoff we lost the departure control frequency. I told the first officer to go back to the tower frequency and ask for the frequency. He turned the radio that had the tower frequency to an unknown, and now we did not have any correct frequency in the box. I told him to get the frequency of the chart. He and the flight engineer looked, but could not find. Now we were in a jam. I continued the departure, but was getting anxious, because we were supposed to be vectored at that time. The first officer was trying to find his clearance that he copied down. I was looking also. Now, we have been airborne 2-3 mins. I started to look also. As we all looked, the aircraft turned off our heading -- about 40-50 degrees. The first officer found the tower frequency, but kept rotating the knob through the frequency because of nervousness, I finally tuned the right frequency and contacted the tower and then departure control. We were given a heading and was told they had been trying to contact us. The reason aircraft turned was we had been off the air for what seemed like hours. Actually, 5-6 mins, maybe longer, I was thinking we had better turn toward phx VOR, as that would be the last communication procedure. Also, I leveled off around 6000 ft. We were cleared to 7000 ft on our departure. I really didn't want to turn as lost communication, thought we would get a frequency at any moment. I was flying in a gray area, for me at the time. Should I turn, should I not. So, I did a half-hearted turn and leveled as we were searching for frequency. What I should have done, was do like I briefed. 'I fly you guys fix.' that's always for engine failure brief (wrong). When I stopped my climb and turned toward phx VOR, I looked for traffic on the TCASII and visually. No one there. I was not prepared for what had happened. It was a simple mistake that turned into an ordeal. I should have checked radios before departure. I should have flown the aircraft as cleared while the rest of crew looked for the solution. I was trying to do it all. That won't happen again. Training new first officer was part of problem. Not flying the 'no radio' procedure as required by the far's was a factor also. I learned to brief the 'lost communication' as well as engine failure among the other subjects to be briefed. That's about it. A minor mistake became a major problem. Luckily, I can write you about it. Supplemental information from acn 570191: after takeoff from runway 25R of sky harbor international airport, tower handed us off to departure control. Our departure plate was lost on the cockpit floor with the frequency that was needed to communication with departure control. All 3 crew members were concerned with finding the lost departure plate to use the correct frequency. During the search, the aircraft was flown off course and did not level off at the correct altitude. After checking onto the correct frequency, we were cleared to the correct heading. At no time did we nor any other aircraft come into conflict. I know this was a lesson learned to all crew members. To prevent this situation from occurring in the future, I will reconfirm the correct frequency in the standby radio, write the frequency down on an easy accessible location, and pay much more attention to the loss communication procedure along with the other crew members while maintaining that at least 1 person solely fly the airplane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10 CREW HAD A TRACK DEV AFTER DELAYED CONTACT WITH P50 DEP CTLR WHILE FLYING THE DRYHEAT 2 SID AT PHX.

Narrative: DEPARTED RWY 25R, DRYHEAT 2 DEP. I WAS TRAINING NEW FO (IOE) ON THE ACFT. RIGHT AFTER TKOF WE LOST THE DEP CTL FREQ. I TOLD THE FO TO GO BACK TO THE TWR FREQ AND ASK FOR THE FREQ. HE TURNED THE RADIO THAT HAD THE TWR FREQ TO AN UNKNOWN, AND NOW WE DID NOT HAVE ANY CORRECT FREQ IN THE BOX. I TOLD HIM TO GET THE FREQ OF THE CHART. HE AND THE FE LOOKED, BUT COULD NOT FIND. NOW WE WERE IN A JAM. I CONTINUED THE DEP, BUT WAS GETTING ANXIOUS, BECAUSE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE VECTORED AT THAT TIME. THE FO WAS TRYING TO FIND HIS CLRNC THAT HE COPIED DOWN. I WAS LOOKING ALSO. NOW, WE HAVE BEEN AIRBORNE 2-3 MINS. I STARTED TO LOOK ALSO. AS WE ALL LOOKED, THE ACFT TURNED OFF OUR HDG -- ABOUT 40-50 DEGS. THE FO FOUND THE TWR FREQ, BUT KEPT ROTATING THE KNOB THROUGH THE FREQ BECAUSE OF NERVOUSNESS, I FINALLY TUNED THE R FREQ AND CONTACTED THE TWR AND THEN DEP CTL. WE WERE GIVEN A HDG AND WAS TOLD THEY HAD BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT US. THE REASON ACFT TURNED WAS WE HAD BEEN OFF THE AIR FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE HRS. ACTUALLY, 5-6 MINS, MAYBE LONGER, I WAS THINKING WE HAD BETTER TURN TOWARD PHX VOR, AS THAT WOULD BE THE LAST COM PROC. ALSO, I LEVELED OFF AROUND 6000 FT. WE WERE CLRED TO 7000 FT ON OUR DEP. I REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO TURN AS LOST COM, THOUGHT WE WOULD GET A FREQ AT ANY MOMENT. I WAS FLYING IN A GRAY AREA, FOR ME AT THE TIME. SHOULD I TURN, SHOULD I NOT. SO, I DID A HALF-HEARTED TURN AND LEVELED AS WE WERE SEARCHING FOR FREQ. WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE, WAS DO LIKE I BRIEFED. 'I FLY YOU GUYS FIX.' THAT'S ALWAYS FOR ENG FAILURE BRIEF (WRONG). WHEN I STOPPED MY CLB AND TURNED TOWARD PHX VOR, I LOOKED FOR TFC ON THE TCASII AND VISUALLY. NO ONE THERE. I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR WHAT HAD HAPPENED. IT WAS A SIMPLE MISTAKE THAT TURNED INTO AN ORDEAL. I SHOULD HAVE CHKED RADIOS BEFORE DEP. I SHOULD HAVE FLOWN THE ACFT AS CLRED WHILE THE REST OF CREW LOOKED FOR THE SOLUTION. I WAS TRYING TO DO IT ALL. THAT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. TRAINING NEW FO WAS PART OF PROB. NOT FLYING THE 'NO RADIO' PROC AS REQUIRED BY THE FAR'S WAS A FACTOR ALSO. I LEARNED TO BRIEF THE 'LOST COM' AS WELL AS ENG FAILURE AMONG THE OTHER SUBJECTS TO BE BRIEFED. THAT'S ABOUT IT. A MINOR MISTAKE BECAME A MAJOR PROB. LUCKILY, I CAN WRITE YOU ABOUT IT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 570191: AFTER TKOF FROM RWY 25R OF SKY HARBOR INTL ARPT, TWR HANDED US OFF TO DEP CTL. OUR DEP PLATE WAS LOST ON THE COCKPIT FLOOR WITH THE FREQ THAT WAS NEEDED TO COM WITH DEP CTL. ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS WERE CONCERNED WITH FINDING THE LOST DEP PLATE TO USE THE CORRECT FREQ. DURING THE SEARCH, THE ACFT WAS FLOWN OFF COURSE AND DID NOT LEVEL OFF AT THE CORRECT ALT. AFTER CHKING ONTO THE CORRECT FREQ, WE WERE CLRED TO THE CORRECT HDG. AT NO TIME DID WE NOR ANY OTHER ACFT COME INTO CONFLICT. I KNOW THIS WAS A LESSON LEARNED TO ALL CREW MEMBERS. TO PREVENT THIS SIT FROM OCCURRING IN THE FUTURE, I WILL RECONFIRM THE CORRECT FREQ IN THE STANDBY RADIO, WRITE THE FREQ DOWN ON AN EASY ACCESSIBLE LOCATION, AND PAY MUCH MORE ATTN TO THE LOSS COM PROC ALONG WITH THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS WHILE MAINTAINING THAT AT LEAST 1 PERSON SOLELY FLY THE AIRPLANE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.